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Obama Young Voter Job Approval Rating Dwindles

President Obama’s job approval rating among young voters has dropped 5 percent in the past week, according to a recent Gallup Poll.

The age group was a large part of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, supporting him over Republican candidate and Senator John McCain, voting 66 percent in favor of Obama according to a Roper Center poll.

The Obama campaign has made specific approaches to this demographic, with the use of the Young Americans for Obama Campaign and by purchasing advertisements on popular smartphone applications.

A September 2011 poll by Generation Opportunity may shed some light on the young voters’ concerns, showing that 77 percent of young adults “either have or will delay a major life change or purchase due to economic factors.”

“I would say we have to put off purchasing a vehicle,” says Candace King, an unaffiliated voter from Wilmington, N.C., who voted for Obama in the 2008 election. “We can’t afford to save for one right now, because the cost of everything is rising, so that means the more we have to pay for fuel and food and power, and water, and rent, the less we have to be able to put away to save for a big purchase like a car, putting off the purchase.”

However, the cost of living hasn’t only affected her directly. She also sees how it has had an impact on her indirectly.

“Our renter, for instance, passes on the rising cost to the rentee. Since property tax and water prices rose, they pushed the rise onto us.”

However, King doesn’t believe that the economy will necessarily have an impact on her decision come election day in November.

“One person never has enough power to make the changes they claim they are able to.” She continues, “I think there are many factors the poor economy and using the president or a presidential candidate as the scapegoat is just lazy.”